When should I call my dentist for emergency care?
No matter how much one prepares, accidents, especially dental emergencies, can still occur. These emergencies encompass a range of issues, including infections, tooth decay, damaged teeth, and mouth trauma. By visiting an emergency dentist promptly, individuals seek the immediate care their teeth require. Prolonging the time between a dental injury and seeing an emergency dentist may increase the chance of irreversible damage.
Our goal at Shine Dentistry is to provide timely treatment to prevent further damage or tooth loss, prioritizing the preservation of natural teeth and maintaining the patient’s oral health.
If you require an emergency dentist, do not hesitate to contact us as soon as possible for professional dental treatment. Dr. Elena Johnston is specially trained in emergency care, having handled many dental emergencies and utilizing advanced technology to preserve your teeth and gums. From lost or missing fillings or crowns to chipped or cracked teeth without pain and mild to moderate toothaches. At Shine Dentistry we are equipped to handle a variety of dental traumas.
Here are a few common dental emergencies that may require immediate care:
- Severe tooth pain, especially if it is accompanied by swelling, fever or an unpleasant taste in your mouth
- Spontaneous or persistent bleeding of the gums
- A lost or knocked-out permanent tooth
- A broken or severely chipped tooth
When in doubt, please give us a call! We can assess your situation, offer instructions for what to do next and get you in to see Dr. Johnston as soon as necessary.
What should I do if I have a knocked out tooth?
In many cases, your emergency dentist may be able to save a tooth if you take certain steps promptly. For a knocked-out tooth, handle it by the crown, not the roots. If possible, place the tooth back in the socket or keep it in your cheek until you reach our office. If the tooth cannot be placed in the mouth, store it in saliva, milk, or water. Immediate action, such as setting the tooth back in the socket within the hour, significantly improves the chances of saving the tooth.
Carefully handle the tooth and avoid touching the root as it can be easily damaged.
If the tooth needs to be cleaned, hold it by the crown and rinse it with milk. If you don’t have milk, rinse it with water. Allow it to air dry.
The tooth must be kept moist. You can place it in a cup of milk. If milk is unavailable you can store it in your mouth, between your gum and cheek. A child may not be able to safely keep the tooth in his mouth. In this case, you can have the child spit in a cup and put the tooth in the saliva. If this is not possible, you can simply keep the tooth in water. The idea is to keep the tooth from drying out.
You can try to slip the tooth back into its socket. There’s a good chance it will slip right back in. You shouldn’t force it. Make sure it is facing the correct way. If the tooth won’t easily go back in place, then simply store it to keep it moist until you see an emergency dentist.
Lost Crown
In the case of a lost crown, keep it clean and safe. If possible, reinsert it using dental cement as a temporary measure. Do not use other types of adhesives. For toothaches, especially if you have a crown in that area this could be a sign of an infected root canal – therefore you may need root canal retreatment, due to infection underneath the existing crown. Use a cold compress on the cheek, take over-the-counter pain relievers, and schedule an appointment with our office as soon as possible.
Call us in the case of any dental emergencies
In the case of a dental emergency call us today at 212-242-5344 if you have any questions about your dental situation. Dr. Elena Johnston, our emergency dentist, is dedicated to treating all emergency situations with quick and compassionate care to protect your smile.
How do we repair an avulsed (knocked out) tooth?
Dr. Elena Johnston will flush the socket to wash away debris. It is possible that the repair can be as simple as slipping the actual tooth back into the socket. Ideally, this should take place within an hour of the accident.
Many emergency dentists may decide to do a root canal or may wait. That decision will depend on such factors as how long the tooth was out of the socket. In any case, Dr. Johnston will splint the tooth by using a soft wire and composite materials to attach the tooth to your existing teeth on either side. If the bone around the tooth was not damaged, it should reattach to the tooth within three to four weeks. If the bone is damaged, however, it will take longer. It is important to follow up regularly with Dr. Johnston to ensure the tooth re-attaches correctly.
Wisdom Teeth Removal
Wisdom teeth are four extra molars located in the back of each side of the upper and lower jaw that usually develop during adolescence between the ages of 17 and 25. The average adult mouth has enough room to accommodate around 28 teeth, but with wisdom teeth, your jaw has to accommodate up to 32 teeth. In rare cases, wisdom teeth erupt properly without complications. Typically, however, wisdom teeth have a significant risk of becoming impacted because the human jaw is too small to contain them.
At Shine Dentistry, most patients prefer to have their wisdom teeth removed as a precaution before those teeth cause any trouble. Contact us today for an appointment if you are interested in removing your wisdom teeth on 212-242-5344.
What problems can wisdom teeth cause?
When wisdom teeth grow under the gum line without space to develop, they become impacted, which can cause a host of problems. Impacted wisdom teeth are more likely to develop cysts or abscesses. Because it’s harder to keep the back of the mouth clean, especially if wisdom teeth are partially erupted, young adults can experience mouth infections that have the dangerous potential to spread to the bloodstream. As wisdom teeth continue to try to push through the gums, neighboring teeth may be damaged or shifted out of alignment, undoing years of orthodontic work.
Common causes of a chipped tooth
Having a chipped tooth can be alarming. It can lead to anxiety about one’s appearance and render the tooth vulnerable to an abscess or root canal infection. Teeth can become weakened due to decay or mercury amalgam fillings which can cause cracking or chipping. Acid can also abate tooth enamel, so conditions such as acid reflux, alcoholism, and bulimia can contribute to tooth deterioration. There are many possible causes for a chipped tooth, some of which include:
- Poor nutrition
- Falling on hard surface
- Biting on something hard
- Tongue piercings
- Cavities and tooth decay
- Sports injury
- Poor hygiene
Dentists often treat patients who use their teeth as tools in lieu of a bottle opener or scissors. Teeth are meant to perform specific tasks like smiling, talking, and eating. Never use teeth to crack a nut or to open a package or bottle. Using teeth as tools can not only damage your tooth but can cause serious injury to your mouth
If you are having a dental emergency and you are in need of an emergency dentist then call us on 212-242-5344. Dr. Elena Johnston is an experienced emergency dentist and has performed surgery on many dental emergencies, relieving pain and restoring the patient’s tooth in many cases where it was severely damaged. If you are looking for an emergency dentist in Chelsea then we are conveniently located on 23rd street and 8th avenue. Our goal is to treat emergency patients as quickly as possible and put you on the road to recovery.
